downton



(Nov-Model.)

I R. L. DOWNTON MANUFACTURE OF FLOUR.

Patented Mar. 21, 1882.

t'ul improvements in' the nonnn'r nowsron, on ST. Loni-s,

ATENT rates,

nus'sonut.

MANUFACTURE OF FLOUR;

srncrrrca'rron forming, part of Letters Application filed November 6, 1880.'

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that-I, ROBERT L. DOWNTON, residing at the city of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and usemanufacture of flour for the purpose of, producing an increase-inquantity and an-iinprovernent in quality of the high gradeof flour; and I: do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and ex- :0 act description of myinvcntion, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

That myiuvention may be thoroughly understood and distinguished from the methods or processes heretotore or novi used, I will give a description of the process upon which thisv is designed asan improvement, Settiug'forth the objections thereto.

The wheat, after'having' been thoroughly cleaned, is passed-between a pair of corrugated round or sharp fluted rolls revolving at difi'erentialspeeds, whereit' is broken into small particles, Theproductot'thisgriudingisthenconveyed to abolt or reel, there to be separated. The fine flour and middlings that pass through the meshesot' the cloth are conveyed away, and suchas pass over;the tail of the boltior screen are again passed between another pair ot' rolils, to be again reduced into finer particles, nd'so on through the entire process of reduction, by alternatecrushing and bolting, and at each, successive crushing the rolls, are grooved successively finer, this crushing being accomplished by rolls that revolve at'difl'erential speeds, and in the same direction at the point of contact. v p

.Now, to fully describe my process, I use rolls revolving at differential speeds, and-revolving in the same direction atthe point ofinearest approach to contact or breaking, said rolls being fluted either parallel to the axis'of the roller at aninclination to the axis, the confignration'of the flutes on the rolls being'rou'nd, oval, ogee, or sharp,iu the form of serrations, or of any other suitable form.

Now,;my 'inventiourelates, not particularly to the configurationot roll's or their general construction, but is confined to the-arrangementof eachser-ies of round'or-ovalfluted rolls, with relation toth'e sharp-fluted rolls. 1

' By useot theround-lfluted rolls in the early the fine flour and middlings.

- twenty,

- the sharp flutes Patent No. 255,150, dated March 21 1882,

(No model.)

stage of reducing, the grainis broken into particles snfiicient to liberate a large portion of This operation may be continued through. several grindings on round-fluted rolls, when the sharp fluted rolls are substituted for'the roundtlutes', The degree of fineness of the flutes increases from the first operation of reducin g throughout the Whole process, varyiug'in number from eight flutes to the inch on the tirst to twenty eight or thirty on the last, though l prefer as being fineenoughl The advantage rouud flutes in the early stage and sharp in the tinish is that the grain is mashed or crushed into particles of su'flicicnt fineness to liberate the middlings and fine flour,

- and by so crushing a large amount of the flour is crushed intothe body of the hulland brauny particles, which, when brought in contact with on the rolls used in the last stage of the, operation, are out or scrapedoft, owing to there being a be seen that or crushing surface. 'Thus it may by this arrangement a large amount-of flour that hasheretoi'ore been thrown away is saved.'

' The dates on the parallel with or at an incline to the axis; The

result will be the same; but on the last series of rolls it is necessary that the flutes be at an incline to the axis.

Y To enable one skilled in the art to perform my process, ing, in which there are six sets ofrolls and six bolts shown, the first four sets'of rollshavin ground ed flutes, and the lasttwotsharp flutes,

1). This arrangement need not be adhered. to, as the quality and condition of the grain may require more round-fluted roltsand less sharp,

'or the reverse-Jess round' and more sharp fluted ra)lls-'under all circumstances the sharp" fluted rolls being the last in tDG'SQIlBS.

In the drawing, A is the first set ofrolls, show ing a niannerof driving-the rolls at differential speeds,.as desired. Arrangedbeneatli these rolls is a suitable hopper, opening into a conveyer, "a, leadingto the bolt B, from the tail of whichvleads the spout b to rolls, A, and so on through alternate conveyors of We a, bolts B B B 15* B and spouts b 12% we) each se't'of roll A A? A A,

sharp or cutting edge presented. to said particles, instead of a round first series of rolls may be the second set of:

the

I refer to the accompanying draw 1n the successive reductions,

'18 again reduced between the rollers A and the product bolted.

do not confine myself to this number of sharp-fluted rolls, as one set mightbe suflicient Wheat, require two or per nature or condition ofthe grain.

I am aware thatspiral-fluted rolls have been used of success!rely-increasing fineness from the first stage of the reduction through the entire process. There are objections to this construction and arrangement, as the reduction is entirely accomplished by pressure-that is, the grain is compressed between the opposite flutes on each roll. This reduction will answer for the first breaking up, when the objection becomes apparent. As the grooves are progressively finer in the successive pairs of rolls and the particles of wheat are becoming smaller the Henry partiuse'ofsharp or serrated flutes there are objections, such as by their continued use cannot be obviated. The grain, in passing between the rolls, is cut up, not'crushed, and by a continued use of rolls with flutes of increasing fineness the grain is cut into finer particles at each reduction, each particle being part hull and part flour, some of which being ol'such fineness as to pass through e bolts and deteriorate the quality of the Hour, or leaveit part middlings and part bran.

.By the use of sharp edged fluted rollsthrough the entire process ot'reduction the sharp edges ofjthe flutes become dr.llthat is, worn ofi'by continued use and are then of no more ad vantage than when round-fluted rolls are used throughout. These obstacles are all overcome by myarrangement of rolls-round-fluted first, to mash or crush the grain,and sharp-fluted last, to remove the floury particles from the bran.

I understandthe constructionot' the mechanism and the process described in Gustav A. Buchholz, No. 97,038, November 13, 1869, and the patent of John Stevens, No. 228,001,May 25,1880. Suchldo notclaim; but

What I do claim is as follows:

1. The herein-described proccssof reducing grain to flour and middlings, consisting in passing it through a series of sets of rolls re volving at differential having a dress of round or oval flutes, latter part of said series havinga dress or sharp or serrated flutes, arranged at an inclination to the axis,and through bolts arranged in- 7 termediate ot'each set and the succeeding set of rolls, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In the manufacture offiourand middlings, a series of sets ofrolls ofsuccessive degrees of 7 fineness of dress, arranged to revolve in the and at differential speeds, the first part of said series of rolls having a dress of round or oval flutes, part of said series of rolls having a dress of sharp or serrated flutes, arranged at an inclination to the axis, in combination with bolls arranged intermediate of each set and the sucthe patent of and the latter 8o ceeding set of rolls, substantially in the manner as and for the purpose herein shown and described.

n. L. oowsros.

Witnesses:

JOHN G. BUTLER, GEO. W. SMALL. 

